Lone Kiwi girl in America

Leaving your family may be a nice thought to some, but it was this that scared me the most about moving overseas. How would I feel missing important days like Christmas, Easter, birthdays, Mother's and Father's day? Would I get homesick? What about when I got there? Would I like it? Would I find a job? Would I make friends? How would I keep in touch with friends and family back home?

Months before my departure, the preperations began. Every night that I spent with my family felt fragile and time sped by so quick. I wanted them to know how much I loved them and how much I would miss them. I put together a photo frame for my parents, worried they would forget about me when I left. I painted my sisters paintings for Christmas, with familiar lyrics we shared at parties and gatherings. I etched words of family, love and togetherness into the canvas. They were no longer just gifts, but a way to ease my mind knowing when they looked at them they would be reminded of me,.. that was the idea anyway.

I think there is a certain feeling of closure which comes knowing you will not be around them for much longer. My sisters shyed away from me slowly, I guess their way of letting go of their little sister to ease the blow when I finally left.
Us New Zealanders are a pretty reserved bunch, so most of what they were thinking is just a guess on my part. But family dynamics definitely change when a family member breaks the mould by moving away. And I couldn't have got much further away than America!

So the day came to leave. We sat at the Napier Airport for a few precious minutes before the boarding call echoed through the airport for my flight to Auckland. I tried to make it quick, one hug and a quick goodbye for each family member. I finally stepped through the gate and that was it, my journey had begun. With a deep breath I turned and waved at everyone as I boarded the small airplane, tears streaming down my face. The air hostess greeting everyone at the entrance to the plane must've seen this a thousand times, but no one could help comfort me now. I was all alone, but with a strange new feeling of empowerment and control of my new future.

Once I boarded the plane for LAX, I began to feel slightly calmer, and of course so excited to see my fiance again (after a 5 month stint of being apart). I reflected on the past 2 months and the immense preperation that went on just to put my butt in this seat on flight Q25.

- I had Renovated and rented out my house
- Said goodbye to my beloved Boxer, Bailey
- Sold all my houseold belongings in a garage sale
- Sold clothes and big house items on Trademe
- Sold my car
- Resigned from my job
- Sorted out bank accounts and insurance
- Copied important files onto CDS
- Captured video moments and put these on DVDS
- Compiled my favourite photos
- Started an address book to keep in touch with friends
- Bought New Zealand stuff to take
- Packed my life into 2 suitcases!

It felt like a new blooming of myself, a chance to throw out the old and start fresh! That's for sure. It was comforting to know that I had everything in my life completely organised for once.

The wait in LAX was insane. I felt like a child who had been fed too much caffeine and red lollies. I called my fiance from the airport, just to let him know I was in his country, and 5 hours away from seeing him finally.

Culture shocked me even before landing in Minneapolis. We had to fly around in the air for an extra 30 min because of a snow storm below! Never in New Zealand! OH was I excited to see the snow, too naive to realise that two weeks into it I would loathe the sight of it and long for summer again. But hey, this was just the beginning of the many cultural challenges I would face living here.

All the organising, garage sales, goodbyes, flights, and fries at cramped airport terminals were worth it when I stepped onto the esculator at Minneapolis Airport, only too aware that my future husband would be standing there nervously to greet me. This time was different though, it wasn't a 'welcome to your holiday for the next two weeks', as our time together always had been. This time it was 'Welcome to America. Join in or get left out!'...

***Tune in soon for more from NZ Guru Girl's adventures and infinite wisdoms!***

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Until now, I was oblivious of the way different countries use certain words for meaning. I've certainly got some funny looks when yanks don't understand what the heck is coming outta my mouth!!

Lollies - Candy
Holiday - Vacation
Trim milk - Skim milk
Presents - Gifts
BBQ - Grill out
Tea - evening meal
Fizzy drink - Soda
Sweet - cool or awesome
Sweet as - same as sweet
Ta - thanks
Mate - A Friend
Bro - also a friend
Togs - swimwear

And that's just for starters!